St. Paul daily globe., 1887-10-23
COMES TO NAUGHT.
Railroads Fight and the City Can Go
to the Devil
AND THE PUBLIC BE DAMNED.
The Terminal Committee of Fifteen
Says That is About the
Situation.

Minneapolis may complain of the
want of proper railroad terminal facili-
ties, but the railroads are in little
fight of their OVID and the city may 60
to the devil. as far as they are con-
cerned. AS long ago as August pub
lie meeting was called to ascertain if
some plan could not be matured by
which the difficulty would lie met. A
committee of fifteen was appointed, and
ever since then has been laboring.
Yesterday it adjourned sine die, having
been able to accomplish nothing. Its
report, which follows, is made to Judge
Atwater, as chairman of the meeting,
and carries the complete story with it:
THE COMMITTEE GIVES IT UP.
AS chairman of the meeting held at Har-
monla hall, this city, Aug. H. 1897, to effect
a settlement OF the questions relating to rail
way terminal facilities in this city, and bridg-
ing tracks over the Manitoba & st. Louis
railway, we beg leave to submit to you and
through you to the general public the fol-
lowing report and resolutions: The commit
tee has held frequent and fully attended
meetings. some of which have been attended
by the officials of the railroads interested.
Representations and full explanations from
all sources have been sought and obtained.
The railroad committee of the council and
the city attorney and engineer have also been
present at the meetings. The committee at
the very first found difficulties existing be-
tween the Manitoba and Minneapolis Il st.
Louis railways. Some of the matters in con-
tentlon were then pending in the courts. and
tney mad been for many months past.
THE LEGAL POINTS.
A determination of some of the legal points
was expected at an early day, and feeling the
uselessness of bringing the parties together,
after several interviews with them, in which
in ,Qr.a1x
fuily, the committee finally decided to
adjourn until the pending case of the
city against the St Louis road to
compel the lowering of the tracks should be
determined: A subcommittee was appointed
to wait on the court and request an early de-
c1slon of the important questions submitted.
The sub committee was very courteously re-
celved and in compliance with their request
an early decision was handed down. The
committee also hoped that the court would
definitely decide the question raised before it
OF Its jurisdiction not only 10 order the tracks
down, Dut also as matter of public neceS-
slty, the relocation of such track or tracks as
might be necessary to facilitate the improve
ment OF terminal facilities upon plans to lie
approved by the city engineer and also to
meet the views of the Manitoba railroad de-
string TO make certain extensive improve
ments. But the court, in its decision,
declined to go so far. The, tracks
were ordered down to conform to the plans
OF the city engineer and in compliance with
solicitors.
THE ROADS CLASH.
The Manitoba road positively and persist
emily refused to go on with its necessary i'm
provements, which it comedies to be necessa-
ry, unless the Minneapolis d st. Louis tracks
south OF the proposed freight and ware
houses are taken up and placed north. 1t
declares the proposed approach to its pro-
posed warehouses from a bridge over Wash
1ngton avenue to be utterly impracticable
ana demands an approach to the warehouses
substantially <on a level with the grade of
Washington avenue. The Minneapolis dS
St. Louis road insists on leaving its present
track on the south side of the present Mani
toba ira cks where it is. 1t claims judicial
settlem ent in its behalf which secures it in
lts rights to remain in this position. 1t al
reyes that the proposed removal OF its tracks
places 1t at the mercy of a rival and un-
friendly and competing corporation whose
agreements it distrusts and
WHOSE POWER IT FEARS.
Ihere is a mass OF other details on both sides
of the question, which your committee deem
it unnecessary to discuss There are also old
questions and old quarrels quite irrelevant to
the matters in which the public are interested,
which are constant source of irritation be-
tween the companies. which make it appar-
probably agree until court assumes the
power in the public interest to force them to
some kind of an agreement.
II is with great regret, therefore, that your
ment between these two corporations. Ev
cry possible inducement and assurance was
prOtfered them by the committee on behalf of
the business men and the CITY. and without
avail.
Your committee therefore report in addi-
ton to the above their agreement upon the
following resolutions:
Whereas, The city of Minneapolis and its
business men, always manifesting the utmost
concern in the development and establish
ment of railways within our city limits and
always extending the greatest possible en-
couragement to stimulate such enterprises by
donations of money and large tonnage of in
coming and outgoing freights, is in impera-
tive need of greatly improved terminal facil-
. ties for the proper handling of these freights;
and
of tracks on grade across the main artery of
travel and business. at the intersection of
Fourth street and Washington avenue north,
is an impediment to travel and wicked men
ace to the lives of the throngs of people COM
PEELED to cross them every day, a disgrace to
railway managers and city authorities alike,
who have permitted such a condition of
things to exist so long; and
Whereas, In the opinion of this committee,
the two railroads controlling the track afore-
said and the terminal facilities acknowl-
edged to be. inadequate for the business of
the public. have it in their power to afford a
complete remedy for all these evils.
THE ST. LOUIS ROASTED.
And whereas, it is the opinion of this COM
mittee that the plans submitted by the Man
itoba company for lowering the tracks at
Washington avenue, and improving their
property, having been recently approved as
the most feasible: and the propositions made
by the Manitoba company to the st. Louis
company appear to your committee to be
reasonable and fair; therefore
Resolved, That we sincerely deprecate the
present differences between these two rail-
roads. They are great damage to the city.
1t is a flagrant disregard of the wishes and
interests of the city that the settlement
should be postponed to await the tiresome
delay of the courts.
Resolved, That, in our opinion, It is the
duty of the Minneapolis & st. Louis COM
pany to accept generally the propositions
suggested by the Manitoba company and CO.
operate in carrying out these plans, without
regard to minor questions which appear 10
concern the companies far more than the
public.
Resolved, That we demand, and will con-
tinue to urge our citizens and business men
to demand an early agreement and speedy
remedy from these roads.
Resolved, That we pledge ourselves to these
and other railroads having business relations
with Minneapolis to facilitate in every proper
way their enterprise and development.
An Editors lf-Felicitations
Gorham Mountaineer.
The knowledge that we have made